From Policy to Practice: Finnish Educational Policy and the Portrayal of Men and Women in Guidance Books

Abstract

Holm, G. 1988. From Policy to Practice: Finnish Educational Policy and the Portrayal of Men and Women in Guidance Books. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research 32, 113-122. According to Finnish educational policy, students should be encouraged in guidance to make non-traditional educational and vocational choices after the comprehensive school. A change in family roles should also be encouraged. The guidance material available to Swedish-speaking teachers and ninth-graders was examined as to whether non-traditional choices were emphasized in accordance with the policy. The guidance material approached an apparent goal of gender neutrality, but did little to encourage non-traditional choices. Gender was not integrated in the information but treated superficially as a separate issue. The guidance material contained conflicting messages about the gender-appropriateness of vocations.